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看到蓝冠菊，头脑一闪而过的却是蓝罐曲奇，还有那段耳熟能详的粤语广告词：过时过节，就会有好多颜色嚟探我。好似红当当嘅Lulu，黃黚黚嘅大细表哥，仲有青BB嘅Peter仔！不过，我最中意蓝色嚟探我……十多年前，互联网并没有现在那么发达，香港的TVB也陪过我们一段时间，这种经典广告当然也忘不了，只是不讲粤语的朋友估计不好读懂。你估我讲咩呀？ 夏日炎炎，我都中意蓝色嚟探我，冷冷的蓝色调无疑是治愈酷暑的最佳拍档，于是，这个名字与蓝罐曲奇名字相似的蓝冠菊走进我的视野。 
蓝冠菊，菊科、蓝冠菊属多年生宿根草本植物，它的样子像蓟，也像纽扣，于是又称为菲律宾钮扣花、钮扣菊、菊蓟、美菊花、苹果蓟。英文名是Brazillian flower, lark daisy。蓝冠菊的拉丁名是Centratherum punctatum，其属名Centratherum来自希腊语“kentron”(短刺)和“anthos”(花)，指的是基部像短刺的花，种加词punctatum是“有斑点的”意思。一些参考文献指出，这种植物来自西印度群岛，而因为它在巴西分布很广，很多人说它是巴西植物，我国近年引进栽培。 
菊花大都都是金黄色，就算现在栽培的菊科植物颜色越来越丰富，蓝色的还真的不算太多，记忆中只见过矢车菊是蓝色的吧，而这个蓝冠菊的出现的确让人耳目一新，特别是在炎热的酷夏。它的名字简单而粗暴，花如名，蓝紫色的花冠，第一次听它的名字，吃货的我马上想到蓝罐曲奇，谁叫它们名字那么像嘛，仔细看它的花冠样子，说像曲奇有些牵强，可也真的像我做过的一种烘焙饼干。蓝紫色的花朵似长满刺的蓟，实际上它没长刺。据说它的叶片在搓揉后会有淡淡的苹果香，所以也叫苹果蓟，也有人说那是菠萝味，反正也只是诱人罢了，又不能吃。 
我国引进蓝冠菊不久吧，网络记录得并不多，华植引进后长势不错，后将它移至藤本园的草坪上，在充足的阳光和适度的水分下，生长的很茂密，也成了今年大家追捧的目标，它的花期很长，从春天一直来到夏天，只是据说不好过冬。按它的生长条件在南方估计很快能推广，并应用到园林绿化用，最主要它的繁殖力强，能利用种子自我繁殖。假以时日，它遍布各公园或者庭院，我一点也不觉得奇怪。在热带气候下，它几乎一年四季都可以开花，这有助于使花对蝴蝶非常有吸引力。 
蓝冠菊是多年生宿根草本，株高20~50公分。全株有毛，茎直立或四散生长，茎红褐色，老茎易木质化。卵形叶互生，簇生于茎顶，匙形或橢圆形，先端宽，銳尖，粗锯齿缘 ，中肋明显，深刻，表里两面皆密生毛绒；表面深绿色，背面淡绿色，被 T 形茸毛。 
蓝冠菊头状花序，顶生，花冠蓝紫色，成株每一茎枝顶端均能开花。单花花瓣5枚，雄蕊5枚，雌蕊1枚，柱头3裂，花药白色。单花花序由底部白色伸延至紫色，轮状排列由内向外。 
除了观赏价值，叶片可以提炼香精油。而且据说它还有药用价值。性味：（全草）味微辛，性凉。功能：清热、消炎。用于：咽喉肿痛、尿道炎、外伤出血、痈疽肿毒。 
Centratherum punctatum, the Brazilian Flower, is very closely related to its counterpart C. anthelmethicum -- A tender perennial to 1-2 feet tall by 2 feet wide with coarsely-toothed heavily-veined dark green leaves that smell of pineapple when crushed. The lavender -like 1 1/2 inch wide flowers bloom from spring into summer. Does well in full to part sun with moderate water, but stands no chance of surviving winter. I liked the buds, which had a rosy cast before they opened to blue-purple fluffy flowers. the bluish-green leaves, prominently veined and serrated, are nice too.It produces small seeds (1-2 mm) which can be easy dispersed by wind and also as a contaminant. Thus, once established the likelihood of colonizing new habitats (mainly disturbed areas and bare grounds) is relatively high. Attractive to butterflies. This plant is sometimes called Manaos Beauty, Pineapple Thistle and Pineapple Weed, Brazilian or Brazilian Bathchelor's . The foliage is softer and easier to eat than Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans). The name Centratherum comes from the Greek 'kentron' (spur) and 'anthos' (flower) referring to the flower having a spur-like base. Some references note that this plant is from the West Indies and others list it as from Brazil. 
拉丁学名 Centratherum punctatum
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